Shelf Awareness and Sourcebooks Launch #ReadIndieForward to Help Booksellers During the Pandemic

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Shelf Awareness and Sourcebooks are launching a fun new movement to support indie bookstores by partnering on #ReadIndieForward, a pay-it-forward campaign to help independent bookstores during the COVID-19 pandemic, now and into the future.

“We have seen an amazing outpouring of generosity from authors and readers during the COVID pandemic through initiatives like Save Indie Bookstores,” said Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks Publisher and CEO. “#ReadIndieForward is another way for book lovers to share their love of books, reading and provide support to the independent bookstore community.”

#ReadIndieForward encourages readers and authors to buy one book a week for the next eight to ten weeks from the independent bookstore of their choice, send those books to family and friends, and encourage them to pay it forward with their friends and families. The idea is simple, buy a book, share a book, tell your friends about it.

“While our indies experience what we know is one of their most challenging times ever, #ReadIndieForward is a great reminder to readers that the best way to help their local bookstore is to simply buy a book from them,” said Jenn Risko, Co-Founder and Publisher of Shelf Awareness. “As our industry continues to quarantine in place, we all know there’s nothing like the excitement of getting a new book that takes us on a journey of our minds, when we can’t go anywhere. Leave it to Dominique Raccah to come up with this simple yet powerful idea. We’re grateful that she chose to partner with us on it.”

Readers can purchase books directly from their favorite independent bookstore, Indiebound.org, or Bookshop.org, which has a specially curated page for #ReadIndieForward.

“ABA is grateful to Sourcebooks and Shelf Awareness for creating an opportunity for book lovers to celebrate books, support independent bookstores, and connect with one another in a meaningful way during this crisis,” said Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association. “#ReadIndieForward is exactly what we all need right now: Something to connect us, and something to look forward to.”

Booksellers and publishers can join the movement by visiting readindieforward.com, which features downloadable social media assets they can personalize with their logo, as well as ads to promote #ReadIndieForward to their communities, staff, authors, and readers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Shelf Awareness for Readers will also provide book recommendations for all readers.

We hope you’ll join us to celebrate books, booksellers and reading through the spring and summer. And we invite all book lovers to participate!